Editorial: Sheriff needs better ties with Marin City

WEDNESDAY NIGHT'S protest in Marin City was organized and peaceful, but its message was clear.

Protesters maintain that the Marin County Sheriff's Office steps on black residents' civil rights because of their race. They feel deputies treat them as if they are guilty until proven innocent.

Sheriff Robert Doyle has denied allegations that residents are being profiled or stopped because they are black. He also has taken steps to meet with Marin City residents to hear their concerns and to respond.

Meanwhile, the push continues to form a citizens' police advisory board that also could hear complaints and investigate them. Many of the complaints often wind up at the county Human Rights Commission, but the panel lacks the funding and political clout to really investigate matters.

It has long been a serious shortcoming that the county does not do more to support the commission's work. Perhaps, one day, the commission will find a champion on the board. But today, mostly, the commissioners are appointed, meet regularly and their work goes unnoticed.

Wednesday night's protest was in response to the findings of the special investigation into a Marin sheriff's deputy firing on a Marin City man, who was stopped last summer, and then started to drive away. The deputy, Evan Kubota, fired at him and wounded the man, Chaka Grayson. The sheriff's office says the deputy fired because he thought the driver was trying to hit him.

The Novato Police Department and the Marin County District Attorney's Office investigated the stop and shooting and did not find wrongdoing on the part of Kubota. The DA, however, charged Grayson with four misdemeanors, even though the Novato investigation recommended that he be charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon.

Novato's investigation will be questioned. County officials ignored requests that the probe be handed to a state agency, instead of local police. Sheriff Doyle refused.

It is unlikely that this case is finished.

But a peaceful demonstration was a first step toward bringing transparency to details of the investigation and how the DA reached his conclusions.

The sheriff's office, from deputies to Sheriff Doyle, need to continue to work on establishing stronger relations with the Marin City community.

Building a relationship of mutual respect between the law enforcement and local residents will go a long way toward making Marin City a safer place and reducing conflicts.

Also, the county could start providing the Human Rights Commission with the financial support it needs to carry out thorough investigations on complaints it hears. It can play an independent role in listening to complaints, looking into them and finding possible resolutions.

Wednesday night's protest was a call for the county to do more. It can. It should.